Aquarium
Let’s explore the animals in the section
Poisonous Fish
Diverse in color, shape, size, and danger, venomous fishes attract the curiosity of many, often enriched by more or less likely legends. They usually have peculiar pointed structures connected to venom glands, capable of secreting distinct poisons based on the type and intensity of the effects they cause in their victims. Some fish can sting without causing particularly harmful consequences, while others are capable of proving deadly even to humans. Among these, at Tropicarium Park we host one of the deadliest: the stonefish. In general, they are not only predators but, more importantly, prey. As is the case with many other animals, the use of venom is in fact an extreme attempt at defense, exploited to try to deter from attack any present and future threats.
Ballfish
Pufferfish can also vary in shape, color, and size, all sharing the ability to inflate until they take on the appearance of a ball, hence their curious name. Not particularly skilled swimmers, they enact this transformation for defensive purposes: by filling a specific pouch located inside the stomach with water, the fish immediately appears larger, thus deterring a potential threat. Sometimes they are able to increase their size by as much as 7 times, consequently making it difficult for predators to even contemplate an attack. This defense is also accentuated by the venomous danger of these animals, which have a neurotoxin that is often deadly even to humans.
Prehistoric Fish
When we talk about prehistory it comes naturally to think of the great dinosaurs, fascinating but now extinct animals. However, the latter are not the only living things from that period: in fact, some prehistoric animals never disappeared, keeping their original features intact. There are still species today that are even more than 500 million years old, animals that most likely shared habitats and bonds with the dinosaurs themselves. Among these species we cannot fail to mention some prehistoric aquatic animals that are guests in our park, such as the Limulus, very similar to a crab, and the Polypterus, a fish present on Earth as early as the Cretaceous period. Observing these animals is, in a way, like looking back in time.
Freshwater fish
Often less brightly colored than marine species, freshwater fish are just as fascinating in form and behavior. They inhabit the first part of the path that water takes from the mountains to the sea, thus characterizing streams, rivers and lakes. For this reason they are linked to human history from the very beginning, exploited as a source of food and more, thus becoming the protagonists of numerous folk legends. Just like saltwater fish, most of these animals are particularly delicate, requiring certain conditions to survive. As a result, the presence of some freshwater fish is exploited as an excellent indicator of the health of an ecosystem.
Coral reef
Coral reefs consist of biologically active rocky clusters formed by the sedimentation of the calcareous skeletons of small polyps called corals (Anthozoans) over many, many years. These animals provide shelter for some microalgae (Zooxanthellae), which, through the processes of photosynthesis, return the favor by providing energy to the corals themselves. What results is one of the most fascinating and delicate natural environments in the world, unfortunately seriously threatened by global warming. Within such a natural labyrinth live some of the most colorful and fascinating fish, closely linked together to enable mutual survival.
